"
The Thai New Year Day officially lasts from April 13-15. Attractions
throughout the day also include a cultural parade, Thai boxing and
sword fight sporting exhibitions, fruit and ice carving
demonstrations, children's activities, Thai costume contests, tsunami
aid information and collection booths, and much more.

thought religions

More than 30,000 attended last year's
festival, the first concerted effort by Thai organizations on the West
Coast to host an official U.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050324/PHTH031LOGO )
The term "spiritual capital" refers to the economic and social
consequences of religion and spirituality.
The Metanexus Institute is interested in supporting high-level, impartial
scholarship on the contribution of religion - both for good and for ill - to
economic and social developments .

references religious

net.
Winners of the invitation-only competition for the three founding grants
in the Spiritual Capital Research Program were announced by Kimon H.templeton.

traditions mystical

is home to the largest Thai
population outside of Thailand.
"In the past 30 years, the Thai community has grown and benefited from
life here and, in turn, wants to share its traditions and culture with
America. Thai culture and food has been largely embraced by Angelenos,
and we look forward to celebrating this holiday with them . Full grant applications will then be invited for a total of $1.metanexus.net or 215-789-2200.

wisdom dissertation

Also
known as the Songkran Festival, the Thai New Year street faire is
expected to draw more than 40 ,000, as L. "It is no
longer unusual to consider that trust, behavioral norms and religion can
profoundly shape economic, political and social developments.
For further information on the Spiritual Capital Research Program,
including submission guidelines for the new granting opportunities, or to
request a program brochure, visit http://www. Metanexus sponsors dialogue groups, lectures,
workshops, research , courses, grants, and publications. Metanexus leads and
facilitates over 300 projects in 36 countries .

traditions gurus

's Best Thai Food, More

The United States' largest celebration of the 2005 Thai Lunar New
Year will take place on Sunday, April 3, in Los Angeles, along
Hollywood Boulevard in the city's popular Thai Town neighborhood. Metrolink is one of the many community sponsors of
this year's festival, produced under unified efforts of various Thai
American business and civic associations with support from the Royal
Thai Consulate General, the Thai Trade Mission and the Thai Tourism
Authority offices in Los Angeles.org

wisdom religions

affairs eastern

display of "the world's
largest serving of pad thai noodles" in a giant six-foot wok, and the
delectable "Taste of Thai Culture" food faire with more than 50 food
booths selling savory and authentic dishes representing all four
regions of Thailand.
This project includes the development of an international Consortium for
the Economic Study of Religion (CESR), bringing visiting scholars together at
George Mason University for interdisciplinary and collaborative workshops,
classes, research projects and conferences, instituting an economics-as -
religion concentration for doctoral students, and creating a global network of
scholars and institutes .

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"Songkran is the most sacred holiday for our community and
symbolizes hope and renewal for all cultures," said Prakas
Yenbamroong, one of the volunteer leaders and festival coordinators.
Kuran's project will advance ongoing research on the role of Islam, and
especially Islamic law , in the economic performance of the Middle East from
its rise in the 7th century to the present.

Robert Woodberry, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of
Texas at Austin: Project on Religion and Economic Change.

thought texts

Sunday April 3 -- Grand Festival Marks Thai New Year in Los Angeles Home to Biggest Thai Celebration in U.S.

will mark the grand opening of the festival, where the Thai
community publicly will bless local dignitaries and community leaders.
"More than just a day of family, food and fun, this is a festival with
heart, and the Songkran New Year truly celebrates every culture's
values of respect, gratitude and community., Director for Research and Programs in the Human Sciences at Metanexus.

derived sutras

m. The
grants are awarded through a program of the Metanexus Institute on Religion
and Science, supported by generous funding from the John Templeton Foundation.

Each project is 30 months in duration, beginning March 2005.

The Metanexus Institute advances scientific research, education and
outreach on the constructive engagement of science and religion .

sequel regarding

PHILADELPHIA, Three distinguished scholars have
each received grants of $500,000 to lead teams of researchers in order to
create a new interdisciplinary field of "Spiritual Capital" research.

It will also facilitate a broader
range of study by bringing together a network of scholars, to be
known as the Institute for Economic Research on Civilizations (IERC), to
promote comparative research and raise the level of discourse on the role of
various religions and forms of spiritual capital in the economic performance
of civilizations.net/spiritual_capital
or contact project manager Christopher Stawski at
SpiritualCapital@metanexus.

thought commentaries

Ancient Thai tradition presumes that at this special
time, water can wash away bad luck for the upcoming year. Only in recent years have leading scholars,
including Nobel laureate economists Gary Becker and Robert Fogel and political
scientists John DiIulio and Robert Putnam, called renewed attention to the
effects of spiritual and religious practices, beliefs and institutions on
economics, politics and societies.

affairs religions

It is also
believed that this act of gratitude helps bring spiritual renewal,
happiness and prosperity to the practitioners. Visitors also are encouraged to "Go Metro" to the
Thai New Year Festival, by taking the Metro Red Line straight to the
Hollywood/Western stop.

Timur Kuran, Professor of Economics and Law and King Faisel Professor of
Islamic Thought and Culture at the University of Southern California: The Role
of Religion in the Economic Performance of Civilizations.

meditation traditions

A.
A welcome address and traditional Thai Water Blessing Ceremony at
11 a. Trip planning easily can be done online
through Metro.

Three Grants of $500 000 Each Awarded for Research on 'Spiritual Capital' by Metanexus Institute

(Logo: http://www. While religion and spirituality
are rich with various sources of personal meaning, they also have profound
public significance. Results will
be disseminated through scholarly and lay publications, conferences, speaking
engagements and websites.

dhammapada crimes

newscom.D.
In The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith raised key questions for the economic
analysis of religion and looked at the effects of competition among religions
and the dangers of government of religion. http://www.

sutras dissertation

S. A shuttle bus will transport
festival attendees from the parking lot at Kaiser Permanente Hospital
on Sunset Boulevard.net

The mission of the John Templeton Foundation is to pursue new insights at
the boundary between theology and science through a rigorous, open-minded and
empirically focused methodology, drawing together talented representatives
from a wide spectrum of fields of expertise.

commentaries references

Admission at the all-day cultural festival is
FREE, with booths offering Thai food, beverages and souvenirs for
purchase.
This project seeks to evaluate the influence of various religions on
health, education and the economy by measuring religious distinctions and the
resulting impact on national, community and individual levels in societies
around the world. Letters of intent are due no later than April
15, 2005. A membership
organization, Metanexus hosts an online magazine and discussion forum with
over 140,000 monthly page views and 7000 regular subscribers in 57 different
countries.

sacred religious

"A central goal of the festival is to continue Thai traditions for
future generations ," said Rosalyn Patamakanthin, festival volunteer
and former president of the Thai Association of Southern California.
In addition to nearby public parking lots, visitors may find
parking along neighboring streets.

Since then, social scientists have vigorously debated the concept of
social capital, but spiritual capital - a sub-set of the field - remains
relatively understudied .

mystical upanishads

Among the most
popular features of the festival are performances by Thai cultural
dancers and musicians, a massive 200-lb."
"Songkran" symbolizes the start of the lunar New Year or movement
of the sun and is celebrated by Thai populations around the world as a
day of spiritual renewal and gratitude, honoring family, respected
elders and community leaders. The Spiritual Capital Research Program will fund high-
level research that could lead to new understandings of religion's role in
economic, social and political life."
Principal investigators heading the award-winning teams and their projects
are:

Laurence Iannaccone, Koch Professor of Economics at George Mason
University: Creating an "Ecology" for the Study of Religion, Economics, and
Spiritual Capital .
In addition to the three funded projects that are just beginning, the
Metanexus Institute has issued a new call for proposals for $150,000 research
grants for interdisciplinary studies on the economic and social consequences
of religion and spirituality.

thought eastern

Traditionally, younger generations pour
scented water over the palms of Buddhist monks and elders, asking for
their blessings.
During this sacred ceremony, water will be poured over the hands of
leaders in a symbolic gesture of good wishes, renewal and blessings
for the New Year, as prayers and offerings are made by Buddhist monks ,
elders and religious participants. http://www.

commentaries religious

Songkran celebration.5
million in research funds .

paranormal commentaries

One section will analyze the impact of 150 years of
missionary activity; a second section will analyze the economic consequences
of Pentecostal conversions in Brazil; a third section will focus on the
influence of revivalist Islam and Christianity in rural Malawi. Just 100 years ago Max Weber
published his provocative work The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of
Capitalism.metanexus.

wisdom psychology

Calendar Editors/News Editors/Community Editors

LOS ANGELES----

All-Day Thai Festival along Hollywood Blvd.A. The public is also encouraged to
bring their children to honor family elders in the Water Blessing
Ceremony and to receive blessings from spiritual leaders. For the
festival in Los Angeles, on Sunday, April 3, Hollywood Boulevard will
remain closed between Western Avenue and Kingsley Drive. Sargeant,
Ph. The aim of the Spiritual Capital Research
Program is to catalyze the development of this interdisciplinary research
field, which may become a vital new field in the social sciences. Projects include the Local
Societies Initiative, the Templeton Research Lectures , and topical
interdisciplinary research projects such as the Spiritual Transformation
Scientific Research Program, Spiritual Capital Research Program, Foundational
Questions in Physics and Cosmology , as well as studies of religion and health,
religion and human flourishing, and other endeavors.

affairs sacred

to Feature Dignitaries'
Water Blessing Ceremony, "Taste of Thai Culture" Food Faire with
More Than 50 Booths of L.
"Now seems an ideal time to understand and assess the public effects of
spiritual and religious action because there seems to be a growing openness in
the social sciences towards non-material factors," says Sargeant. Metanexus is
a leader in a growing network of individuals and groups exploring the dynamic
interface between cosmos, nature, and culture in communities and on campuses
throughout the world.